Snow remover



April 4, 1961 w. w. KESECKER SNOW REMOVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April2, 1958 Woodrow W Kesecker INVENTOR.

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III I i 52 54 April 1961 w. w. KESECKER 2,977,695

SNOW REMOVER Filed April 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

Woodrow m Kesecker /4 IN VEN TOR.

SNOW REMOVER Woodrow W. Kesecker, RED. 4, Box 45, Keyser, W. Va.

Filed Apr. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 725,985

7 Claims. 01. 37-53 V This invention comprises a novel and useful snowremover and more particularly relates to a portable device, readilycapable of manual operation for effectively removing snow fromsidewalks, driveways and the like.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a lightweightportable snow plow which shall be of a simple,'lightweight constructionespecially adapted for manual operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mobile manuallyoperated snow plow which may be readily adjusted by the rearrangement ofa simple guide and discharge element for throwing the-snow to eitherside of the device whereby to remove snow from opposite sides of a walkor driveway while travelling in different directions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a manually operatedportable snow plow which shall incorporate therein an inexpensive buthighly effective heating means to greatly facilitate the movement ofsnow over the chute and guide surfaces of the device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portablemanually operated snow plow in accordance with the preceding objectswhich shall include an adjustment knife blade construction at the inletend of the chute of the snow plow to enable the device to moreeffectively remove snow.

And a final important object of the invention to be more specificallyenumerated resides in the provision of a heating system which shall beeffectively combined in a portable manually operated snow plow wherebyheat may be applied to the bottom and guiding side walls of the chuteand to the snow deflecting element at the top .of the same to facilitatethe passage of snow along thelonger surfaces thereof and preventclogging of the device by snow packing thereon.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter de-v scribed and claimed,.referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of aportable manually operated and heated snow plow incorporating thereinthe principles of this invention; I

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section .line 2-2 of Figure 1 andshowing details of the heating assembly and of the internal constructionof the device;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 3--,3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rear portion or dischargeend of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the apparatus but showingthe discharge means reversed for 2,977,695 Patented Apr. 4, 1961 r cethat shown in Figure 1; and I Figure 7 is a perspective view of thereversible discharge baffle forming a part of this invention.

Although the device illustrated in the accompanying.

drawings is of extremely light weight and therefore especiallyadapted tobe manually pushed by the user, it will be evident that a suitablesource of power may be applied to the device if desired as by the use ofpower equipment such as garden tractors or the like. 1

Referring first primarily to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that thesnow plow in accordance with this invention includes a portable ormobile body 10 which consists of a bottom wall 12, a pair of side walls14, a rear end wall. 16 together with a top wall having a forwardinclined surface 18 and a substantially horizontal top surface orplatform 20. The above described surfaces thus form a hollow box-likebody to which a handle assembly 22 of any conventional design issecured. A pair of supporting wheels 24- under the rearward end of thebottom wall 12 of the body serves to impart ready mobility to the deviceto enable the same to be moved along a pavement, driveway or the like orother surface over which the device is to be passed in order to scrapeorplow snow therefrom. Upon the opposite sides of the inclined portion 18there are provided'guide rails 26 which thus define with the surface aninclined trap or chute up which snow is adapted to pass. These guiderails are hollow, as will be apparent from Figure 5, and may be V-shapedin cross-section or of any other desired shape. At their upper ends,however, it is preferable that these guide rails shall terminate insocket end portions which are substantially square in cross-section asshown at-28. for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

At its lower end, as will be best apparent from Figure 2, the inclinedsurface 18 of the trough or chute is provided with a transverselyextending scraper blade or knife edged member 30 which is adapted toscrape the surface over which the device passes and lifts snow from thesame onto the chute. The blade 30 is preferably U-shaped, Wlthupstanding leg portions 32 at the opposite sides of the chute, andvertically adjustable extensions 34 are secured to these legs as byfastening bolts 36 extending through apertures 38 in the upstanding legs32 and through vertically elongated slots 40 in the extensions. Theupstanding legs and extensions thus comprise vertical knives which serveto cut the snow to facilitate passage of the latter up the chute uponforward travel of the device.

. Referring now especially to Figures 2 and 4, it will be seen that therear end Wall 16ofthe body has its upper end extending above theplatform 20, and terminates in a horizontal flange 42 which overlies theplatform.

A'deflector member designated generally'by the numeral 50 consists of anL-shaped member having a pair of perpendicular disposed legs 52 and 54,each leg being U- shaped in cross-section or comprising a channelmember. The outer ends of these legs are closed and are adapted to beselectively received in the previously mentioned extremities 28 of theguide or side rails 26 of the chute or trough member. Either leg isadapted to be disposed over and to receive therein the flange 42 asshown in Figure 2 and in Figure 4, whereby the L-shaped deflector membermay be fixedly retained upon the platform 20 in selectively thepositions shown in Figure 1 or in Figure 6,

with either a leg 52 or leg 54 received in one'of the mem-' bers 28,'andthe other leg extending transversely across the rear end of theplatform. The inner surface of this deflector member is smoothly curvedfrom one leg towards the other, as will be readily apparent from Figures1, 4 and 6.

Discharge means are provided at the upper end of the chute openinglaterally from the platform 20 for dis! charging snow lifted by thechute laterally to either side of the device depending upon the mannerin which the deflector member 50 is positioned thereon. This dischargemeans is formed by the space between the extremity 28 and the transverserearward leg of the deflector member, this being the leg 52 in Figure 1or 54 in Figure 6. The platform adjacent this opening is provided with apair of hinged aprons 60 and 62, which aprons may be conveniently cutfrom the side walls 14 and hinged to.the edge of the platform as at 64.Each apron includes a brace 66 adapted to engage the bottom edge of theopening 68 from which the aprons are cut in the side walls to therebysupport the selected apron in raised position as will be apparent fromFigure 3.

As will now be readily understood, When the snow plow is moved along asurface such as a sidewalk adjacent one edge thereof, one of the apronsis open corresponding to the discharge opening for which the deflectormember is set. When it is desired to run the plow in the reversedirection along the other side of the sidewalk or drive, then thedeflector is reversed, and the opposite apron is raised in order thatthe snow may be deflected to the other side thereof, as Will be apparentfrom an inspection of Figures 1 and 6.

The present invention also includes a means to facilitate at all timessliding of snow over the inclined trough or chute, the platform 20, pastthe guide rails 26 and across the deflector 50. For thispurpose, asshown best in Figure 2, there is provided a supporting shelf 70 whichmay conveniently be carried by the rear wall 16 upon the exteriorthereof, for supporting a blow torch 72 of conventional design. Thisblow torch has its nozzle extending through the opening 74 in the rearwall 16 into the hollow interior of the body. The blow torch serves as ameans to heat the entire interior of the body, thus applying heatdirectly to the inclined surface 18 of the trough or chute, to theplatform 20, and as will be apparent from Figure 5, to the interior ofthe hollow guide rails 26. From the latter, the rising column of heatedair or fumes will strike the end of the deflector arms 52 or 54, andthus heat the latter. The deflector arms may also be heated by theplatform 20 upon which the deflector rests. This source of heat willmelt snow tending to accumulate upon the surfaces past which the snowmoves, thereby facilitating easier removal of and discharge of the snow.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable manually operated snowplow comprising a hollow body havingan inclined chutewith a scraper blade at the forward and lower endthereof, combustion type heating means for heating the interior of saidbody, a pair of discharge means at the upper end of said chuteprojecting laterally therefrom beyond the sides of said body, adeflector reversibly mounted on said body and directing snow moving upsaidchute selectively to one of said discharge means, a pair of flueopenings formed in opposite sides of said body, said discharge meansincluding a pair of discharge aprons hinged to opposite sides of saidbody, said aprons comprising closures for said openings which whenopened serve as discharge means and also provide a means for the fumesof the heating means to escape.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said discharge apronsincludes means for releasably supporting said apron in a horizontallydisposed and laterally projecting position.

'3. A portable snow plow comprising a hollow body having an inclinedchute, rollers supporting the rear end of said body, said chute inclineddownwardly toward the front end of said body, said chute includingupwardly directed longitudinally extending opposite side guide railseach terminating at its rearmost ends in a rearwardly opening socket, adeflector reversably mounted on said body for directing snow moving oiTsaid chute selectively to one side or the other of the latter, saiddeflector being generally L-shaped in plan and having free end portionsengageable in said sockets, and upwardly projecting flange carried bythe rear end of said chute, the legs of said, Lrshaped deflector eachincluding a downwardly opening channel selectively engageable with saidflange whereby the free end of either of said legs of said deflector maybe engaged in one of said sockets and the other leg engaged with saidflange to rigidly secure said deflector in position upon the upper endof said chute to laterally deflect the snow travelling there up to oneside or the other.

.4. The combination of claim 3 including combustion type heating meansfor heating the interior of said body, apair of discharge means at theupper end of said chute projecting laterally therefrom beyond the sidesof said body, a pair of fiue openings formed in opposite sides of saidbody, said discharge means including a pair of discharge aprons hingedto opposite sides of said body for movement about horizontally disposedlongitudinally extending axes between 2. depending position overlyingsaid openings and a horizontal position extending outwardly from theopposite sides of said body thereby comprising closures for saidopenings which when opened serve as discharge means and also provides ameans for the fumes of the heating means to escape from the interior ofsaid body.

5. The combination of claim 3 including a pair of discharge means at theupper end of said chute projecting laterally therefrom beyond the sidesof said body.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said discharge means comprises apair of aprons hinged to opposite sides of said body for movement aboutlongitudinally extending horizontally disposed axes between a dependingposition overlying the adjacent side of said body and a horizontalposition projecting laterally beyond the adjacent side of said body.

7. Thecombination of claim 3 including means for heating'said deflector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

